


Parting

by ichikonohakko



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, xxxHoLic
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Missing Scene, and what does Sakura and Syaoran feel towards Watanuki?, the question is: what did Sakura and Syaoran feel when they leave Watanuki for the enclosed world?, this has been in my head for weeks now I decide to write it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 18:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9250616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ichikonohakko/pseuds/ichikonohakko
Summary: This too, was an inevitability that was brought upon with Tsubasa’s wish to save the real Princess Sakura...For Li Sakura and Li Syaoran to have another son to replace the other’s existence.





	

**Author's Note:**

> To get rid of a what may cause confusion:  
> 'Tsubasa' is a name shared by the child real Syaoran and child Watanuki before Clone Sakura and Clone Syaoran left for the enclosed world. I don't want to refer to the real Syaoran as 'real Syaoran' in this fic, but I try my best to explain things in-narrative.
> 
> But hey, this is CLAMP we're talking about. A bit of confusion is a guarantee in HoliTsuba universe xD

* * *

 

Li Syaoran and Li Sakura loved their child so.

Tsubasa has been and will always be the most precious of the many miracles they had been allowed to have. To live their lives, this time as a proper human and no one’s creation, to be in love with one another, to wake up in each other’s arms with smiles on their faces… Syaoran and Sakura were truly blessed. But none of them compared to the joy of having Tsubasa in their arms.

Yet they know that their precious child will eventually move alongside the hands of time, just like what the inevitability dictates. The Dimensional Witch had promised them in that void that no matter what they do, time and fate will wound itself back to that moment in time. But even when they knew that destiny will move just like ‘Syaoran’ had wanted it to be, they didn’t know that Tsubasa will return to them the way he did.

Tsubasa was always a spitting image of Syaoran, he was after all the original existence of the other, but Sakura loved to think that the reason why Tsubasa looked so very much like his father was because he was their most precious child. She didn’t turn a blind eye to Tsubasa’s origin, of course, but it was a nice thought nonetheless. And yet…

Tsubasa returned. He was clueless and yet he shared the exact same memories Tsubasa had before he even left for the Clow Country, but Sakura couldn’t help but feel the differences.

After all, Tsubasa didn’t look like Tsubasa anymore. He was no longer the spitting image of Syaoran, but he was very similar to Sakura’s father back when she was still the Princess of the Clow Country. She wondered if this was another twist of fate, an inevitability that was brought upon with Tsubasa’s wish to save the real Princess Sakura. For them to have another son to replace the other’s existence…

If the previous Tsubasa had been closer to Syaoran than he had been with Sakura, the current Tsubasa stuck with her like a glue. He was always smiling, blue eyes full of wonder as he asked Sakura to tell him stories of spirits of the desert or about her journey across the worlds. Tsubasa seemed to think that they were beautifully crafted bedtime stories she created to soothe him to sleep, and Sakura never bothered to correct him.

Syaoran too, teach this Tsubasa how to cook, and Sakura always marveled at the taste of his food. This Tsubasa was better than the previous Tsubasa, whose food always seemed to be geared towards nutrition instead of taste, but sometimes it made her feel lonely. She missed her son very dearly, and even though this Tsubasa was her son as well, she could never forget him…

Touya-niisama and Yukito-san didn’t notice the change. For them, Tsubasa had always looked like he did now and the memories they have with Tsubasa never changed. Sakura remembered the day she and Touya-niisama watch as Tsubasa played with Yukito-san, he had told her that he was glad that Tsubasa looked like his grandfather instead of ‘the brat’.

Tsubasa gave them so much joy, and Sakura was sure that Syaoran too, didn’t want these days to end. But then she had a dream.

When Sakura woke up, she was sweating and panting. Syaoran was by her side, his eyes full of worry and yet he knew. Changing the future is always a difficult thing, but they both resolved that they wanted to change it anyway. For Tsubasa, their most precious son and Syaoran's most precious person.

And yet…

“Syaoran-kun…” Sakura had a pained expression on her face. She knew that Syaoran considered their son and his original existence very precious, and yet she couldn’t help but hesitate. Their plan was not perfect. It was full of holes and Sakura didn’t doubt for a second that if Kurogane-san and Fai-san knew, they would receive a lengthy scolding, but she knew that it was necessary. It was necessary, but she…

She didn’t want to leave Tsubasa with such a painful memory.

This Tsubasa had nothing to do with Tsubasa’s wish. He was a bystander, an outsider who didn’t even know that his parents were created beings instead of real human. She knew that the world is at stake, but still…

“I know it’s painful,” Syaoran said, his voice was calm and yet his face was pained also. Syaoran loved Tsubasa as much as she did, maybe even more. “The world is at stake, my dearest, and we cannot just stand by and let everything happen like the way it did in your dreams. I’m sure Tsubasa can understand…”

“He doesn’t have anything to do with this…” Sakura whispered. “ _He_ didn’t wish for anything and yet _he_ will be left with the most painful of memories. I know that Tsubasa… _Syaoran_ is precious to you, but he—“

“Sakura-hime…” Syaoran’s whisper was soft and grounding. He sometimes couldn’t shake the old habit of calling her with her title from the previous life and Sakura didn’t mind it at all. His hand found hers and it was warm, warm as the day he held her hand in Hanshin Republic… “Syaoran _is_ precious to me, but it didn’t mean that this Tsubasa is any less precious.” His smile was patient and understanding, but it was painful also.

They were leaving Tsubasa behind; off to wait in an enclosed world, never touching for eternity until the day their Syaoran unwound the halted time once more. It would be sad and painful, but what will happen to Tsubasa whom they had left behind? Who will take care of him? What will happen to him? Will he live knowing that his parents left him because of another existence that was more precious to them than he ever was? Will he resent them? Will he resent _Syaoran_ for the choice they made?

“Mother…? Father…?” Tsubasa’s voice was small, another thing that was different from the previous Tsubasa. Sakura smiled and Syaoran beckoned their child closer. Tsubasa beamed and went over to them, blue eyes wide and innocent and totally unknowing of the decision they had just made.

Syaoran hugged them both, earning a startled ‘Dad!’ from Tsubasa and a tired smile from Sakura. “You two are very _very_ dear to me, my most precious person and my most precious son.” He put his lips on top of their heads and Tsubasa giggled. Sakura took a deep breath and decided to decide.

* * *

 

_‘So this is your wish, Sakura-hime?’_

“More than a wish, this is a hope…”

The Dimensional Witch was as beautiful as she remembered her to be, knowing red eyes and powerful magic that made her soul tingle. Sakura held her son close to her, trying to soothe her beating heart with the constant calm breath of the sleeping child. He still had his glasses on, a habit she and Syaoran had been trying to fix and yet constantly failing. Too bad that they won’t be around to help him with that anymore.

“I foresaw in a dream that this child will pay the same prize I did to help his other self when the time arises. And if he did this, he would forget everything about his own relatives and he would feel alone and lonely…” She also saw him holding a dead cat under the rain, murmuring that he would die all alone. Changing the future is difficult, but Sakura was determined.

She didn’t want any of her son to die alone.

“I hope you will take care of him, Yuuko-san.” Sakura kissed the child’s brow, loving and adoring. _This would be the last time_ , she thought, _and though he won’t remember… I will._ “I hope this child will grow to love and be loved in return. This is not a wish, because I know that I will not be able to pay the suitable price if I ever want to wish you to change someone’s future, but I _hope_ that the future I saw will change…”

Yuuko-san smiled to her, her eyes knowing and kind. _‘You are just like your father, Sakura-hime.’_ She had a fond expression on her face and Sakura knew that she was going to help her even without a promise. Things went unspoken, but she had _hoped_ and she knew that her hope will be an unsaid wish to the Dimensional Witch. So Sakura smiled.

_‘So? What is this child’s name? I certainly want to know how to address him when he comes to my shop in the future.’_

Sakura had tears on her face, and even when it had fallen on her child’s face, the little angel did not wake. She held him even closer as Syaoran came holding the device that hold the enclosed world, his eyes too, were red with tears. He didn’t show it to her, but parting with their child must have been hard on him also.

“Written with the most important date in our family and a promise Syaoran-kun and I made to him, this child’s name is Watanuki Kimihiro.”

Yuuko-san smiled as she showed the gentlest of expression when she saw Kimihiro’s sleeping face. _‘I look forward to meet you in the future, Watanuki Kimihiro’_ and she disappeared.

Sakura let her tears fall, and Syaoran was immediately next to her, hugging her and Kimihiro close to his heart. The child opened his eyes, bleary with sleep as he snuggled closer to his mother. “Mother? Father? What’s—?”

“It’s nothing, Tsu— _Kimihiro_ ,” Syaoran ruffled his hair and took off his glasses with a calming smile. “Go back to sleep, our most precious Kimihiro.” He put his hand over Kimihiro’s eyes and it glowed. Sakura felt her heart clench as Kimihiro screamed at the memories they had written for him.

Kimihiro was crying in his sleep, but he didn’t wake. Sakura’s tears was still falling as she tucked her son for the last time. The next time he woke up, Kimihiro will remember them dead in a horrific accident to protect him. It certainly made for closure, but still…

“I’m sorry, Kimihiro…” Syaoran was crying also and Sakura was sure that this was the first time she had ever seen tears on Syaoran’s face. “But this is for the best… come now, my love, it’s time for us to leave.”

Syaoran left first, his voice was shaking and so were his shoulders. Sakura spared a last look to her precious son and whispered.

“Sweet dreams, our most precious Tsubasa… our most precious Kimihiro.”

And the door closed.


End file.
